My style over the years

As an artist, I’ve seen my images transform and develop over time, and I welcome this evolution. I believe that sticking to a formula is a death sentence for creativity.

I’ve come to understand that light has a way of transforming the mundane into something magical. There have been times when I’ve worked so quickly that I haven’t fully comprehended what was happening in front of my camera, but I knew it was significant. My focus was on getting the exposure right, while my intuition framed the shot.

On days when I prioritize gratitude over expectations, I find that my spirits are lifted. And to me, a great photograph is one that captures the essence of what I feel about the subject in the deepest sense – it’s a true expression of how I feel about life as a whole.

Light turns the ordinary into the magical

Why I am a photographer

Photographers often struggle with the challenge of being true to their creative passions while making an honest living. After 50 years as a professional photographer, I find that listening to my heart is integral to running my business Many images I’ve made for personal satisfaction have done well in my fine art market and have brought me lucrative commercial al assignments. This work has grown me as an artist and helped develop and expand my professional career. Suggested I send specific images to targeted potential clients; e.g., potential book covers to publishers, industrial images to annual report clients, and landscapes to conservation organizations. The strategic marketing method helped me make inroads in areas I had not foreseen.

Going above and beyond leads to great referrals

On assignments, I used to stop shooting after completing the immediate task at hand. What I’ve found is that often magic happens once I’ve achieved the required task and let myself be free to explore other ideas. It might be possible to get a really excellent image in addition to the commissioned shot…something that can now wow the client, giving more than they expected. So, I structure my contracts to allow for added compensation for additional images, thereby protecting my work more effectively. Going above and beyond never causes problems and often generates very happy clients who give great referrals.

Staying true to my desire to create beautiful

A sure way to keep your creative juices flowing and find entrance into fields of work is to take pro bono jobs in industries you wish to break into. I try to align my personal views with my professional work as much as I can. One way I enjoy expending myself is by taking jobs for causes that mean a lot to me. I’m happy if more work comes in because of it, and content to make a contribution to a worthy cause. More often than not, I’ll get a referral or someone will suggest my work because I was impassioned about the cause. When you line up your passions with your image-making, and take commissioned jobs that line up with you’re your passions, you are ensuring good marketing of your art-making abilities.